Working meeting: This week, the Aigine CRC team met with Evgeny, a technical specialist from Hangar Media, to discuss the technical aspects of creating an immersive exhibition dedicated to the petroglyphs of Central Asia. During the meeting, we explored in more detail which technological solutions, formats, and presentation methods could help communicate the depth, meaning, and visual power of this material to contemporary audiences. These discussions are important in shaping an exhibition that is not only technically well designed, but also carefully grounded in local context and content. The project is supported by ALIPH and the European Union. We are glad to continue this collaboration and to jointly explore new ways of working with cultural heritage.

Heritage Goes Digital: This week, a working meeting was held at the Aigine CRC office with representatives of the digital department of the Ministry of Culture, Information and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic. The main focus of the meeting was cooperation and the possible integration of the intangible cultural heritage database—developed by Aigine CRC together with traditional knowledge holders and experts—into the state digital cultural portal currently under development. The database was created within the three-year project “Digital Journey into the World of Intangible Cultural Heritage” and includes materials related to the heritage of the Kyrgyz people as well as other communities living in Kyrgyzstan. During the meeting, we discussed the value of the materials already collected and systematized, the prospects for including them in a broader state digital resource, and possible forms of future cooperation. The next practical step may be the transfer of data for further integration into the portal.

Living Tradition: A Calendar in the Kyrgyz Language: This week, a meeting was held with Zhenishbek Kyzalakov to discuss the version of the traditional calendar proposed by Toron Zhumaev. The conversation focused on the significance of this calendar, its potential for contemporary presentation, and the ways in which such formats can support and reinterpret traditional knowledge today. The program of the upcoming hackathon, which will take place on April 18–19, was also presented, and the possibility of showcasing this calendar there was discussed. Zhenishbek Kyzalakov expressed his readiness to support this idea and emphasized the importance of using Kyrgyz names for the months as part of preserving language, worldview, and traditional knowledge.

Crafts Database: This week, a meeting was held at the Aigine CRC office with our long-time colleagues and partners from ICHCAP. The discussion focused on the next steps for improving, expanding, and further developing the digital database of traditional crafts of Kyrgyzstan. This database was created within a four-year Official Development Assistance (ODA) program aimed at supporting traditional craftsmanship and strengthening the tourism sector in the Kyrgyz Republic. Particular attention was also given to the role of Aigine CRC in the further work with the database, including content development, coordination of specific processes, and possible directions for continued cooperation. Meetings like this help ensure that the database remains not just a collection of materials, but a living and developing resource. In addition, Gulnara Aitpaeva, head of Aigine CRC, took part in the meeting of the Project Steering Committee, of which she is a member.